It seems that I'm getting the Big Chief Tablet idea out there anyway. I apparently have the attention span of a gnat and writing my ideas on a computer screen is far beyond my abilities. So, you're getting a proofread copy from a notebook to computer. How hightech of me, and I thought computers were supposed to cut down on the amount of paper being used!
As for this apathy that I've alluded to! I recently had a conversation with a very good friend of mine about voting and politics in general. It seems that, he, like a lot of the population at my age feels that if the general opinion in the nations capital does not reflect their own that there is nothing to be done or said about their personal opinions on the way the country is run.
What worries me is that this person, and many others I've spoken to aren't idiot jocks or cheerleaders or some other less intelligent stereotype. These young adults are the ones that hold a great deal of intellect!
Now, I've always been a sucker for democracy but isn't the idea behind it that if there is a group of people that believe something different than whats being presented they stand up for their beliefs and express themselves??
I find myself surprisingly behind the "Rock the Vote" movement that the pop stars of America were so behind last presidential election. With one major difference, they were targeting more vapid section of the young adult population. The majority of the people that I keep company with are fairly intelligent and openminded kids, and do NOT watch MTV. My suggestion to these "Rock the Vote" campaigners is to nix the MTV portion. Focus on getting to college campuses and getting to concerts and music festivals. We all know that the 18-24 age group is consumed by three major things: beer, music and sex. Now I don't think politics and sex go together (President Clinton is probably getting a faint pain in the back of his....well...leg shall we say from that last comment). And beer and government? ehh. Not so fantastic idea either. BUT! Music has always been an open forum for thought! so why not introduce this concept into what people my age care quite a bit about??
One thing is for sure though, this isn't a new problem, nor do I see it being solved anytime soon. But in the mean time why not focus efforts on the population more likely to vote based on something more than "well puffy said it was a good idea to vote for him": The smart kids.
LCK
Moody
What we need to do is get college students, yes, but get them BEFORE they get there. Make them WANT to vote, NEED to vote. Make them anxiously chomping at the bits for when they are finally allowed to vote... we the 18th to be as exciting to them as a 21st birthday (ok, maybe not quite). If high schools in America required policy and government classes, we'd be doing better with regards to voting. Fact is school systems are still run by tax payers, so southern schools would still generally teach conservative government and northern schools and western schools would teach liberal government, but if we can at least get people THINKING (even if they're convinced they're right), we've made progress. Trouble is, too many people come out of high school not having ever had a real political thought, but with incredibly quantities of political beliefs which have been handed to them or branded on them.
Since when does MTV play music??
As a lobbyist I run campaigns. I have two in my quiver for this election cycle with room for one more. I run local, state and federal races.
Youth don't (won't) vote. Why? Because the youth of today are given anything they want. They have no real issues. They have no real complaint with government and therefore don't see reason or change.
Now, there are a lot of exceptions - you are one of them but even you mention that your freinds don't find it necessary to vote. Ask your freinds this question: If so and so gets elected you will no longer be able to have sex, drink beer, or listen to music. Really it's right here in his brochure. They still wouldn't believe you. then so and so gets elected, passes laws keeping them from sex, beer and music and they might show up to oust his ass.
I guess my point is, you will not get the masses of youn people to show at the polls unless you can get them to understand that the issues these people represent are scarier than the people themselves. It doesn't matter if your republican or democrat.
A lot of people, Howard Dean included, thought that reaching the youth of America would guarantee democratic votes. Not true. Statistically the young people that show up and vote are republican not democrat. The number of registered young people is more democrat, they just don't show up at the polls.
Lastly, as a campaign manager, I don't believe in getting peoples attention where they are entertained. Youth won't vote 'cause Bono said so. They watch the Rock the Vote commercials with the same excitement as a Geico commercial. So your 100% right. Where do you take the message so they give a damn. Anmswer me that batgirl and you'll go places!